Bahrain's King Hamad said there was no reason to delay the resumption of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Iran.
Bahrain cut ties with Iran in 2016 after attacks on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, following the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr Al Nimr by Riyadh.
“We had problems with Iran, but now there are no problems at all,” King Hamad said on Thursday in Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There is no reason to postpone the normalisation of relations with Iran. We are trying to have normal diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations between us and them.”
King Hamad is to visit China on Friday for talks with President Xi Jinping.
The Bahraini monarch this month led the 33rd Arab League summit, where member states called for Manama to host an international peace conference to revive the two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.
“There is complete agreement among the Arab countries on the necessity of holding a peace conference to solve the problem of the Middle East,” King Hamad was quoted as saying by the Russian Interfax news agency. “Russia is the first country that we asked to support its holding.”
Saudi Arabia and Iran announced last March that the countries had restored ties. Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it welcomed the rapprochement, which was brokered by China.
“This agreement would constitute a positive step on the road to resolving differences and ending all regional conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic means,” the ministry said at the time.
The following day, Ahmed Al Musallam, chairman of Bahrain's Council of Representatives, received his Iranian counterpart, Mojtaba Rezakha, in Manama for an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting.
Last May, an Iranian delegation led by Ali Alizadeh, a member of the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, visited Manama as part of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly meetings.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
